1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of printing a test pattern and an apparatus for outputting a test pattern.
2. Related Background Art
A maintenance service system for copying machines and the like is being realized. In this system, a computer connected to a copying machine or the like acquires the status information of the copying machine and displays the information on the display. A service engineer sees the information and goes to the site of the copying machine to perform required maintenance services.
It takes time, however, for the service engineer to go out to the place where the copying machine is installed and make the machine print a test pattern corresponding to the status information. In addition, if the user has operated the copying machine several times before the service engineer arrives, the status information of the copying machine, which the service engineer has obtained from the computer, is different from the status information of which a test pattern printed out upon arrival of the service engineer is based, because these pieces of information are acquired under different operation conditions at different times. For this reason, it is difficult to specify an abnormality. This applies to printers and the like as well as copying machines.